Daily Times

COVID-19 has compelled the human beings to unlearn what they have been learning through years. Man is trying to undo a few of his actions as a confession of his atypical doings in the past. The social animals have started repenting on their practice of deteriorating the Earth’s environment for attaining temporary benefits. The past has gone, the present is problematic and the future is uncertain. Time will tell us about our future endeavors.

Is the new normal really abnormal? Would the world continue thriving on marketspace instead of conventional marketplace? Are we moving towards virtual societies? Is the work-from-home an authoritative way out for the corporations? Do we need to seek for the new employment avenues? Would the social distancing bear fruit? Who will protect the refugees, homeless and migrants? These with numerous other questions flash through my mind as foggy thoughts and I am striving to cluster these reflections to reach a fair level of acceptance. I guess all of us are looking forward to achieving clarity.

It has been around a whole year that COVID-19 is playing with human fate in some way or the other. With 70 million people affected worldwide, it has caused huge economic damage.

The pandemic has galloped massive employments, coercing the progressive businesses to find safe haven under the veils of new models which are fully compatible with and relatable to the vicious phase of coronavirus. Apart from medicinal research, socio-economic experiments are on the go to carve out ultimate course of action.

Man has been bestowed with flexibility and adaptability. This is perhaps the right time to demonstrate these characteristics. Just laugh away the unnecessary fright and hold the rope of responsibility strongly; the future would be cannier

The world’s social stratification is changing in a complex way. The rich are staying at homes and taking the COVID-19 era as vacations. The poor are forced to look for their livelihood shattering the principles of social distancing. Production of goods and services has squeezed. The prices have gone up. The income level of the masses is experiencing downtrends. The new definitions of prosperity and deprivation are emerging.

The ways we used to celebrate festivals and rituals have encountered a severe shift. From outdoors to indoors and from indoors to nowhere, the level of uncertainty is growing silently. The norms of social interaction have transformed. Religious conferences, social gatherings and musical concerts are being executed through perennial use of technology.

Parks, picnic spots and gyms are awaiting the entertainers. Social distancing is a must, but it was not the world had been heading towards.

The educational system is relying on the shoulders of internet and a few distance learning software. In a country like Pakistan, seventy percent of the rural students has no adequate access to internet. What about their education? Is there any parallel system to safeguard their future? Our children were not fully prepared to be educated online, but coronavirus put them to online education.

What would be the new stature of international sports industry? Sports clubs have encountered losses of billions of dollars which could otherwise be generated as usual. With sports stars in the grounds and audience at homes, the future of sports is at stake too.

Currently, the Olympics, marathons, athletics and other championships are suffering a lot. Safe recommencement and reopening of sports industry is posing another challenge. The world needs to keep the fingers crossed as we have not been left with any other option.

It is suspected that the pandemic could further raise the intensity of global unemployment, social discrimination, financial exclusion and gender inequality. You could oppose my analysis, but what is the usefulness of living in hazy judgements? We are just overwhelmed with the fear of unknown. According to the US Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the world needs to improve people’s capacity to manage shocks and bear up with even harder times ahead.

The researchers and scientists have brought vaccination during the second wave of COVID-19. Though Australia and Singapore have declared themselves as COVID-19 free countries, yet a portion of the population of these countries is resisting the use of vaccine against coronavirus. People do have their own reservations. It means the story of vaccination is also characterised by uncertainty, hence infusing a muddled thought of whether the vaccine is competent or not.

Working on medical innovation and invention is the need of the hour. What I strongly feel is that the world could work on social and psychological fronts to prepare for effective participation in war against COVID-19. The governments could remove unauthentic stuff from electronic and social media to lessen fear amongst people. Apart from practising SOPs, a social protection system is required. Be strong at nerves and feel the social responsibility irrespective of the austerity of situation you are in. Learn the best survival options and teach the fellows around you to be happy with what they have!

Man has been bestowed with flexibility and adaptability. This is perhaps the right time to demonstrate these characteristics. Just laugh away the unnecessary fright and hold the rope of responsibility strongly; the future would be cannier. Create a new wave of motivation to combat the second wave of COVID-19!